Lighting fixture with interchangeable diffusers



y 18,1965 A. L. SIEGEL 3,184,594

LIGHTING FIXTURE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE DIFFUSERS Filed Feb. 5, 1963 IN VENTOR.

AZ 2,. $5452 BY MAW United States Patent 3,184,594 LIGHTING FKXTURE WlTH INTERCHANGEABLE DlFFUSERS Al L. Siegel, 2095 Central Drive N., East Meadow, Long Island, N.Y. Filed Feb. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 256,294 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-78) This invention relates to lighting fixtures in general and to an improved lighting fixture with interchangeable ornamental diffusers in particular.

An important object of the invention is to provide a lighting fixture which is adapted to be interchangeably fitted with ornamented light difiusers of various designs.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel simplified hanger means for the fixtures interchangeable diffuser assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lighting fixture whose constructional design makes it possible to quickly, simply and easily change the ornamentation of the light diffusing means without the employment of special tools or previous instruction.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

It should be understood, however, that these are given by way of illustration and not of limitation, and that various changes in the details, form and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled fixture,

FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the fixture viewed in the direction of lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIG. 3 is a partial section of the fixture taken on line 33 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the hanger means employed in the fixture and FIG. 5 is a partial detail of an ornamental diffuser panel.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the light fixture assembly, generally indicated by the numeral 10, comprises a frame 11, constructed of wood or other suitable material and formed with an inwardly extending peripheral flange 12 for retaining the ornamental diffuser panel 13 or any of a variety of cut out panels such as panel 13a, shown in FIG. 5, and a translucent sheet 14. Frame 11 is formed with inclined surfaces having a pair of spaced notches 15 on one side of the frame (FIG. 4) and another pair of spaced notches 15, one of which is shown on the right of FIG. 2. It will be noted that the notches 15 are cut at an angle parallel to the inclined surfaces 15a and 15b for the purpose to be described later. Secured to the upper edge 15c of the frame above the notches, by means of screws 17, are angle brackets 16 formed with recesses 18. A lighting fixture support member 19 including fluorescent lamps 21), which is adapted to be secured to a ceiling in known manner, is provided with two spaced pairs of oppositely disposed biased arms 21 (only one of the pairs being shown in FIG. 2), terminating in hook portions 22 adapted to be received in recesses 18 of angle brackets 16.

The fixture is installed by first securing the fixture support member 19 to a ceiling or other suitable surface in known manner. Any of a variety of ornamented panels of translucent material, such as shown at 13, or of cut out ornamental panels such as shown partially at 13a in FIG. 5 is placed inside the frame 11 on flange 12. The translucent sheet 14 is superimposed on panel 13. One side of the frame 11 is attached to the support 19 by engaging the hook ends 22 in the recesses 18 of the H 3,134,591 Patented May 18, 1965 spaced brackets 16 of said side and this frame side is moved in the direction of its opposite frame side until the hook end 22 is in the position shown by dotted lines in FIG. 3. The upwardly diverging position of the slot 15 allows ample clearance and permits an easy lateral manipulation of the frame. The other side of the frame is next attached to the support '19 by similarly engaging the hook ends 22 in the recesses 18 of the spaced brackets 16 on that side. The frame 11 is next moved back to its original position until the book ends 22 are in the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 3. It will be appreciated that a four-point suspension of the frame 11 is thus obtained on the support 19.

When it is desired to change the ornamentation of the diffuser, the frame 11 is detached from the support 19 by similarly moving one side of the frame, as previously described, first detaching the opposite side of the frame and then the one side by raising the frame sides upwardly. The translucent sheet 14 is removed and replaced after the diffuser 13 is changed to one of a different desired ornamentation.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

l. A lighting fixture with interchangeable ornamental diffusers, comprising in combination a support member adapted to be secured to a ceiling and provided with two pairs of oppositely extending spaced hooks, a frame formed with inclined sides and a bottom flange extending inwardly thereof said sides provided with two pairs of oppositely aligned slots removably receiving the respective hooks, two pairs of spaced angular brackets secured to the top portions of said sides above said slots respectively, each of said brackets having recesses removably engaging one of said hooks, an ornamental diffuser panel detachably positioned on said flange in spaced relation from said support, a translucent sheet detachably superimposed on said panel and means for securing a fluorescent lamp to said support intermediate the support and said sheet.

2. A lighting fixture with interchangeable ornamental diffusers, comprising in combination, a support member adapted to be secured to a ceiling and provided with two pairs of oppositely extending spaced hooks, a frame formed with inclined sides and a bottom flange extending inwardly thereof said sides having inner inclined outwardly diverging faces provided with two pairs of oppositely aligned slots removably receiving the respective hooks, two pairs of spaced angular brackets secured to the top portions of said sides above said slots respectively, each of said brackets having recesses removably engaging one of said hooks, an ornamental diffuser panel detachably positioned on said flange in spaced relation from said support, a translucent sheet detachably superimposed on said panel and means for securing an electric bulb to said support intermediate the support and said sheet.

3. A lighting fixture with interchangeable ornamental diffusers, comprising in combination, a support member adapted to be secured to a ceiling and provided with two pairs of oppositely extending spaced hooks, said hooks being formed as downwardly biased arms, a frame formed with inclined sides and a bottom flange extending inwardly thereof said sides having inner inclined outwardly diverging faces provided with two pairs of oppositely aligned slots removably receiving the respective hooks, two pairs of spaced angular brackets secured to the top portions of said sides above said slots respectively, each of said brackets having recesses removably engaging one of said hooks, an ornamental diffuser panel detachably positioned on said flange in spaced relation from said support, a translucent sheet detachably superimposed on said panel and means'for securing a fluorescent l arnp to 72,116,324 5/38 Prance 240-149 X said support intermediate the support and said sheet. 2,313,131 7 3/43 Elias 24078 X 7 2,427,084 9/47 Alderman 24078 X References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,471,395 10/23 Garwood 240-4659 2,116,317 5/38 Marshall 240-12 8 X NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

FOREIGN PATENTS 452,009 8/36 Great Britain. 

1. A LIGHTING FIXTURE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE ORNAMENTAL DIFFUSERS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A SUPPORT MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A CEILING AND PROVIDED WITH TWO PAIRS OF OPPOSITELY EXTENDING SPACED HOOKS, A FRAME FORMED WITH INCLINED SIDES AND A BOTTOM FLANGE EXTENDING INWARDLY THEREOF SAID SIDES PROVIDED WITH TWO PAIRS OF OPPOSITELY ALIGNED SLOTS REMOVABLY RECEIVING THE RESPECTIVE HOOKS, TWO PAIRS OF SPACED ANGULAR BRACKETS SECURED TO THE TOP PORTIONS OF SAID SIDES ABOVE SAID SLOTS RESPECTIVELY, EACH OF SAID BRACKETS HAVING RECESSES REMOVABLY ENGAGING ONE OF SAID HOOKS, AN ORNAMENTAL DIFFUSER PANEL DETACHABLY POSITIONED ON SAID FLANGE IN SPACED RELATION 